Clutch device for starting explosive-engines.



J. O. STANLEY.

CLUTCH DEVICE FOR STARTING EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.7,1912.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Av VENTOR, Yak 7L 0. iiarzk g ATTORNEY.

'i'iran' STATES PATENT UFFICE'G I JOHN D. STANLEY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO B. F. PERKINS &, SON,

INCORPORATED, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS. A CORPORATION MASSACHU- SETTS.

CLUTCH DEVICE FOR STARTING EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES Specification of Letters Patent. I Pat f d O t 19 Application fil ed December 7, 1912 Serial No. 735,448.

4 and conveniently operable, and which will automatically be thrown out of connection with the engine shaft as soon as the latter becomes operative by the eziplosion of the engine.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and 1s set forth in the claim.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a sectional view of the device looking rearwardly. Fig. .2 is across section on the line 4- -4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view. on the line 5-5 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a partial sectional View on the same plane as Fig;

1 but showing the changed relation of the pawl to the teeth of the wheel.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of theviews.

On the engine shaft is rigidly aflixed a disk comprising a hub portion a and a radially extending flange portion b which at its outer portion is provided with an annular rib d extending transversely and parallel with its axis, and being concentric with,

and having a separated but surrounding relation to, the hub a.

lnasmuchas the precise formation last described is not essential, the element comprising the hub a, its radially outwardly extending flange I) and the annular rim or rib-like portion 0?, will be hereinafter in this specification and in the claim termed a frame.

The frame hub a is made with an internal annular channel a within which a wick or strip a of absorbent material is accommodated, an oiling hole a afi'ording conven' ient means and introducing oil from time to time to the wick; and thus providing a means for efficiently lubricating the relatively movable parts.

C represents a sprocket wheel loosely and rotatively mounted on the hub portion a of the fram e,-the inner face of the sprocket wheel being in contact with, or very close to, the face of the annular rib d of the frame, while its axially extending hub portion f is located inthe annular chamber between the hub and annular rib of the frame.

The sprocket wheel, the teeth of which proJect outwardly beyond the circumference of the frame rib (l, is held against displace ment by the confining ring 9 detachably secured to the frame hub a by the screw (1 The hub f is provided with V-shhped teeth It on its periphery for pawl engagement.

The annular rib d, comprised as part of the engine shaft-carried frame, has pawlgu ding apertures '5 therein, the lengths of which instead of being radial are at angles of about degrees to, the radial. The pawl bar D slidably engaged in each guiding aperture i has an outwardly projecting stud 7' which engages in a slot k in the flange b of the frame.

, Above the engine shaft is a stand G, journaled for rotation in the upper portion of which is a comparatively short countershaft .1" having a sprocket wheel m aflixed thereon.

I A sprocket chain L has a running engage mentaround both the countershaft sprocket wheel'm and the aforementioned sprocket wheel- C. T

Thecountershaft is equipped with means for imparting rotative motion thereto in the starting direction, that is clockwise, the same most advantageously being a crank M, and preferably a safety crank as known in the'art, that employed by me being of the construction illustrated and described in an ap lication for Letters Patent of theUnited States filed by me Sept. 28, 1912, No, 722,869; although, of course, this invention is not limited to that particular safetycrank, as other cranks having the susceptibility of being thrown out of connection or engagement with the starting shaft when the engine back fires and reversely kicks, may be utilized.

When the engine and its shaft are motionless, as well as is also the startin device,

more or less of the pawl bars D w ich are V te'eth, and by its side portion near its end another of the V-tee h peripl'zerelly on the hub of the sprocket wheel f.

When it is desired to start; the motionless engine, the crank on the.cOnnteI'Sliaft is turned, and the 1l1l1HlI1g;Of iil6 sprocket chain in the direction of the errows ,.l ig. 3, causes the teeth h in engagementagainst the sides of the 'pawls, and which pewls are t-ransversely resisted each by one side Wall of the aperture i, toforce tlie fr'a'tne around thereby rotating the engine shaftyzand as even in the initial portion of the Starting action; the revolution 'ofthe sprocket wheel V-teeth is not exceedingly rapid, all the pawls will, on'e aftcrnnother, fgravitatively come to their engagements, and once en ggiged, beheld so b thecrowding action of the parts. But the engine started, where;

with the-engine shaft and further need of 'haveceased. Of course, in case of a back kick, provis on forwardly driving the starting device w'ill against injury to the person operating the device is afforded b the safety crank -M.

It will be appreciated that the pawl bars.

havin g outwa-rd sliding'movenients in the recesses in sufficient extents as limited by the studend slot engagements 'wil],:under ,C that unnec their rcvoluble movements in the frame while the engine shaft is rapidly runnin z n centrifugal force, held with their inner engaging ends freeand clear from the cth of the then qta-tionaiy sprocket wheel ry weer between these parts is prevented and so that there is also an avoidance of ,ncise which would be incidental to the clicking of the rcvolubly moving pewls past the V-teeth.

I cleiin:-

In a mechanism of the character described, in cmnbinetion, an engine shaft having a. circular frame :iilixed thereto which comprises a circular hub portion and a radially cutii-nhlly extend lhinge lizn'ii anannular rib projecting parallel with its axis, such rib having pawl-guiding apertures tizerein. inelinel to the radius of the hub, a sprocket wheel having its inward Lace posttioned'alongside the face of said rib and provided -with a hub portion loosely encircled by said rib, which hno portion has 3 series of V-shaped teeth, a ring detachably secured to the hub portion of thecirculer .ag'uinst displacement from thelatterfitnd-a plurality of pawl bars oiie,-freely slkiable in each stint ape um and having ii' stnd anclslct cngugementwith the tram'e flenge,

and adapted to have engagement'with one of said hub teeth by its end and-to have --,engztgei n entwith the neXthuli-tooth by its side portion adjacent such end. N

Signed by me at Holyoke Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN Q STANLE Witnesses; .IAMns Atelier, 

